Brakes are important regular Service is advised.You should inspect bakes every 25000 km for basic pad wear and replace disc pads when there is 2 mm or one eighth of and inch of friction material remaining on the backing plate.Do not let brake pads wear down future than this or you may suffer brake fade and brake failure making your next brake repair costly.

Maintaining your vehicles brake pads and discs is essential – not only as it makes sure your vehicle is road safe and it will also keep you, other road users and pedestrians safe.

As part of our brake system replacement service we will also offer a refit of hand brake cables and brake callipers.

How do I know if I need new brakes?

If you think you may need to have your brake system looked at below is some of the signs that you will need to bring it into Alfa Romeo Donnini Melbourne to have us check the system:

Unusual scraping noises when braking

Car pulls to one side

Hand brake has reduced effectiveness

Brake pedal is too hard or Brake pedal becomes “spongy”

Rear wheels lock and skid

Car takes too long to stop

Steering wheel vibration

Leaking brake fluid or low brake fluid level

Illuminated brake warning light on the dashboard

If you think you might need new brakes, call in to Alfa Romeo Donnini Melbourne and we’ll check them for you straight away, absolutely FREE.

What are disc brakes?

Disc brakes are a brake system that slows a wheel’s rotation by squeezing an attached metal disc in a viselike hydraulic caliper.Disc brakes use the same principle as bicycle handbrakes, but on a bike the brake pads press against the wheel itself. On a car, the disc is part of the hub to which the wheel is mounted. The disc, technically called a rotor, is clearly visible through spoked wheels.

Virtually every vehicle manufactured today employs disc brakes on the front wheels. This is because disc brakes are, by most standards, superior to drum brakes, and the front wheels are more important when it comes to stopping a vehicle. They do most of the work — unless you do a majority of your driving in reverse.

How They Work

Automotive brakes use friction to convert the vehicle’s momentum into heat. When you step on the brake pedal, a piston in the vehicle’s master cylinder pushes hydraulic fluid through tubes to the braking system at each wheel. With disc brakes, one or more pistons in each brake caliper then push the brake pads in contact with the rotor.

The pads create friction against the rotor, which slows and ultimately stops the wheel. The brake pad lining material is designed to prevent noise and withstand the excessive heat created by the friction.

Brake pads

Brake pads are the parts of a car’s braking system that actually take the brunt of the frictional force necessary to stop the car. In a disc brake system, the brake pedal activates a hydraulic line which squeezes the calipers against the rotors of the car’s tires. Pads are positioned between the calipers and the rotors to absorb the energy and heat, then provide enough grip to stop the car.